John Clayton Gifford

An expert on tropical woods, John Clayton Gifford was a Professor of Tropical Forestry at the University of Miami. He had previously served as Assistant Professor of Forestry at Cornell University and was the first American to hold a doctorate in forestry. He conducted many large-scale, agricultural experiments in Florida and advocated draining the Everglades to develop the land, in keeping with scientific and agricultural thinking of the day. He introduced many exotic plant species, including the Melaleuca tree.